Most participants in martial arts wear a uniform when practicing their martial art. The top portion of the uniform may include a robe, which is held closed by a belt positioned around the waist of the participant (hereinafter the “student”) who trains in the martial arts. Typically, the belt is wrapped multiple times around the waist of the student, and then tied in the front with a special knot.
Most students must first learn how to properly tie their belt before beginning their first formal lesson. However, many new students—especially children—have difficulty mastering how to tie the knot. Often an instructor or more experienced student is needed to help the new student tie or retie their belt over many weeks and months.
Another problem that afflicts all students of the martial arts regardless of age or experience, is that their knot often becomes loose, and unravels while either participating in class, training, or competition. After the knot loosens, the belt begins to unwrap, and often falls off the student on to the ground. During a class or competition this can create an irritant to the student. That is, the student may waste time continually retying their belt. Other annoyances include tripping over a belt that has fallen off, or becoming entangled with a loose belt while grappling. To the student's dismay, each time the belt is retied, he or she often finds that the knot loosens again, falls off, and then the process repeats itself multiple times per class, training, or competition. The problem is exacerbated in a children's class, where an instructor is often interrupted with the need to continually help students retie their belts.